The Walk Family Podcast

Tony interviews Chris and Randee on their journey through adoption. As they both pursued international adoption, God led them on a path that challenged them that directed their relationship to creating the family they have today. Many of the challenges addressed focus on following God's plan instead of your own and caring for children with severe trauma as early as birth along with caring for...

5/2/2023     Tony's adoption Interview with Kent and Marilyn Fannin as they share their journey into adoption and describe the ups and downs by pursuing children with steps of faith from many different backgrounds. Support the show  You can connect with Tony and Laura at thewalkpodcastministries@gmail.com Twitter (X) @TonySmith4520 https://www.thewalkfm.com/ Newsletter and Prayer and Promises...

1/24/2023      Tony interviews friend and colleague Desiree Fires about the journey to adopting her daughter Lilly. Support the show  You can connect with Tony and Laura at thewalkpodcastministries@gmail.com Twitter (X) @TonySmith4520 https://www.thewalkfm.com/ Newsletter and Prayer and Promises Access You can support Tony and Laura https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tonysmith Thanks for listening and s...

11/22/2022    Tony concludes this series with discussing Romans 1 and how God's wrath not only affects individual people but also groups as large as nations.         We are taking the holiday season to focus on other areas of our ministry and will return with a brand new series beginning January 17th, 2023.         Have a Happy Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas and we will see you in 20...

11/15/2022     Today's episode is all about going through life in the absence of God. Tony focuses this episode on how, as individuals, we have experienced divine distance and how that is reflected in our parenting. But what actually happens when we live a life without any respect for God? What happens when we are walking with the Lord and don't feel His presence?  If you are having dark...

11/8/2022    Tony continues the discussion with the absence of family focusing on children in the foster care system, foster families and the process of adoption. 7 Core Issues of Adoption Support the show  You can connect with Tony and Laura at thewalkpodcastministries@gmail.com Twitter (X) @TonySmith4520 https://www.thewalkfm.com/ Newsletter and Prayer and Promises Access You can support Tony an...

11/1/2022     Entering into the discussion on what it means to be forsaken, Tony brings up topics such as abandonment within the home, but also as a issue our nation is going through. This episode jumps into Michigan's upcoming vote on Proposal 3 and how we as parents can navigate some of the most challenging issues of rejection within the family unit. Michigan's Proposal 22-3 Michigan&a...

10/25/22    In this episode, Tony continues his discussion about the influence of having an absent father. As adults and parents, many of the things of dads did when we were younger are now portrayed upon our own children. Through small and simple steps, we can begin to change to be the parent God calls us to be. The Four Spiritual Laws Bracelet Support the show  You can connect with Tony and Laur...

10/18/22    The Absence series continues with shifting gears focusing on the father figure of the home. Tony discusses context of Ephesians 6:4 and how there are extremes of father-like parenting; one that resembles the Ancient Roman culture of abuse and exasperation and one that resembles the passivity of Eli, a priest who saw the wickedness of his sons and did nothing. In this episode we dive in...

10/11/2022    Tony continues the conversation bringing to light the concept of Intergenerational Trauma and how our childhood relationships with parents (specifically with the mother) affect the relationships we have with our own children. With wisdom from Titus 2:3-4, this episode is a first step to breaking a never ending cycle of parenting struggles. The Walk Family Podcast Survey Article: Turn...

10/4/2022       In part 1 of this episode Tony starts the discussion with Proverbs 6:20, in that we should never forsake the teaching of our mom's. However, what happens if we have an abusive, toxic mother and that relationship has soured over the years? We continue the conversation discussing different scenarios of how mothers can be absent, and what we can do about it as we navigate our own...

9/27/2022    Welcome to our Fall Series on Absence!           Over the course of 9 weeks, Tony will be discussing how to navigate life in the absence of some of the people we value most. Each category will have a 1st and 2nd part, so each topic will be discussed for two weeks instead of one. This episode kicks off with discussing The Parable of the Lost Coin found in Luke 15:8-10. This Parable is...

8/9/2022      Tony and Laura focus this weeks episode on dating. As parents, how involved do we need to be in our teens love life. Do we simply let them make their own choices and mistakes or do we need to know every detail about what's going on with their new boyfriend? Perhaps, as parents, we need to find a middle ground between the two extremes. What He Must Be...If He Wants To Marry My Da...

8/2/2022      Tony and Laura discuss the topic of sibling rivalry: the conflict between brothers and sisters. The concern is not so much about competition, but rather comparison. As parents, we need to  watch out for the day-to-day language used that favors one child or one trait over another that causes those comparisons to take place. Support the show  You can connect with Tony and Laura at thew...

7/26/2022     Tony and Laura continue with their Coffee Talk series. This discussion focuses on boundaries that parents need to set and teach their kids regarding physical affection and the spiritual nature of affection from our Heavenly Father.  Support the show  You can connect with Tony and Laura at thewalkpodcastministries@gmail.com Twitter (X) @TonySmith4520 https://www.thewalkfm.com/ Newslet...

7/19/2022        Tony and Laura discuss the importance of discipline within the home. Many parents simply discipline their kids the way they were disciplined as children regardless of that being good or bad. What does it look like to discipline your kids in a godly way? With a deep conversation and some resources below, we hope you find some answers to disciplining your youngster. The New Strong W...

7/12/2022     Tony and Laura discuss the type of language that our kids pick up from school and movies. The focus is on the heart behind what we say, not necessarily the words that are used. Setting a strong foundation about the heart when kids are young will make the transition to being obedient and following God when they are teens a much better and more successful experience.  Support the show...

7/5/2022    Coffee Talk Episode 3: Quality Time       Tony and Laura dive in to the topic of quality time with kids. The focus of the discussion is how time invested in your kids while younger have benefits to the child-parent relationship through their teen years. Oftentimes, our societal and family norms get in the way from actually investing in our children. Following the 2 yes-1 no rule helps...

6/28/2022 Tony and Laura discuss the reality of parenting in a world with smart phones and new technology. As the Millennial generation is now in the midst of parenthood, how do smart phones affect your child's brain development? How does using a smart device effect the relationship between you and your children? Josh McDowell's Pornography Research ( pg. 105 in Chapter 2: The Extent of...

6/21/2022 Happy Summer! For the next few months, Tony and Laura will be discussing random topics on parenting and having an authentic conversation with some coffee or tea.  This episode focuses on chores and how we as parent can live sacrificially in our home while teaching our kids to follow Jesus' example of daily sacrifice as well. Support the show  You can connect with Tony and Laura at t...

5/31/2022     Prodigals: The Father Part 2         Tony concludes the Prodigals series with the Father's response from Luke chapter 15 to the older son. As parents, how do we find restoration when another family member burns bridges and later decides to return? As forgiveness is needed, a heart change is even more necessary for the older son within this parable Luke 15: 31-32   “‘My son,’ the...

5/24/2022    Prodigals: The Father part 1       Tony focuses on the father in the story of the prodigal son. We notice that his reaction to the younger sons return is parallel for how we should react when our children return to us after disobedience in that we must see them, have compassion and act.  Luke 15: 20 “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compass...

5/17/2022    Prodigals: The Older Son    Continuing through Luke chapter 15, we take a glance at the older son in the parable. How do we as people and as parents struggle with comparison and self-righteousness? We can fall into entitlement when we look at what other people experience. Tony wrestles through how we have a tendency to bring a self-centered attitude into our home and how our kids are...

5/10/2022    Prodigals: The Younger Son    Looking through Luke chapter 15, the story of the Prodigal son, Tony dives into understanding the mind and heart of rebellious prodigals. Often times as parents we experience the heartache of a child choosing to live recklessly. However, there are many times where we relate to the younger son in our lives by pursuing selfish desires rather than chase afte...

5/6/2022 Prayer Pillars: Guidance    Tony discusses the fourth and final prayer pillar: Guidance. As we prayer for our kids as they are younger, our prayers for them shouldn't cease as they enter into adulthood. The reality is, most of our adult children will eventually begin a family of their own. They will desperately need God's guidance as they navigate the trials of having their own...